Ahmedabad: Amidst high speculation of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s ascension in national politics, the party’s 33rd foundation day is being celebrated in Ahmedabad on Saturday for which state party unit has made grand arrangements specially to welcome party’s new president Rajnath Singh.

Rajnath Singh’s close links with Modi are well known. It was Singh who had played a prominent role in last year’s Gujarat Assembly poll campaign after which the party made a landslide victory under Modi’s leadership. After Rajnath’s appointment as party chief in January this year, Modi was inducted in party’s top decision making body- BJP Parliamentary Board. At the same time, Rajnath formed his new team and appointed Modi’s close aide Amit Shah as one of party’s most powerful office bearer- BJP general secretary.

Now celebration of BJP’s foundation day in Gujarat is undoubtedly to indicate that Modi is going to play a major role in party’s affairs. Given growing popularity of the Gujarat Chief Minister across the country and rising demand to nominate him as party’s prime ministerial nominee ahead of 2014 polls, new BJP chief is aware of the fact that without Modi, it will be disastrous for the party to take on Congress-led UPA in 2014.

Grand Celebration in Ahmedabad

The Foundation Day celebration is being held at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad, where large number of party workers are coming from all over the state, Gujarat BJP spokesperson Jagdish Bhavsar told reporters in Ahmedabad.

"As the party president is coming for the first time after his taking over the post, he will be given a rousing welcome at the airport, in which Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and state unit party president R C Faldu will be present," Bhavsar said.

At the main function, party workers will take oath of routing the Congress and establish BJP Government at the Centre, he added. Among the national leaders of BJP, only Rajnath Singh has been invited by the state BJP to be part of the grand function where he is likely to be felicitated.

The felicitation of Singh comes after Modi was inducted by him in the most powerful body of the party, the parliamentary board and also in the election committee, signalling his national elevation. Virtually acknowledging his Prime Ministerial ambition, Modi had on Thursday said it is the duty of every child to repay the debt he owes to "Mother India".

"Not only Modi, every child and citizen owes a debt to Mother India, it is his duty to repay the debt whenever an opportunity arises. Everybody has to repay this debt..." "I hope Mother India gives her blessings and nobody goes away without paying this debt," Modi said, in a clear indication that he is ready for a major role in the national politics for the 2014 general elections.